TELL CITY - The Jasper Community Arts Commission will offer grant applications for arts funding for the coming year.

The JCAC's Regional Arts Partnership provides regranting of public funds to support arts organizations and the arts activities of other public and nonprofit organizations within the six counties known as Region 11 (Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Martin, Orange, and Perry counties).

TELL CITY - Health and human-service organizations are invited to apply for funding from the United Way of Perry County now through Feb. 19.

Funding applications are available at the United Way office, 1012 31st St. or by calling 547-2577.

Last year the local United Way organization distributed more than $89,000 to area health and human-service organizations.

All applications must be received by Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. Late and incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants must be a health or human- service organization and maintain a tax-exempt status.

PERRY COUNTY - The Perry County Community Foundation and Purdue Extension Office are co-sponsoring "Farming: 2010 - A Special Briefing and Complimentary Breakfast for the Perry County Agricultural Community" at 7 a.m. Feb. 16.

We're not sure how much it amounted to, in terms of the salaries involved, paper and ink expended and so on, but if Indiana school systems are to absorb $297 million in funding cuts, a refund of the costs for developing the "Citizens Checklist" would be a good start.

I pounded out this column on Friday as the area was preparing for another round of snow. I won't mind the few inches that were forecast as long as it doesn't turn to ice like it did last Tuesday and moves us one step closer to spring.

Editor's Note: The Hoosier National Forest will celebrate its 75th anniversary Feb. 6. Over the next year, Teena Ligman, a public-affairs specialist for the forest, will share aspects of the history of the forest and land-restoration efforts in southern Indiana.

Congress gave the president authority in 1891 to create forest reserves out of the public domain. Since public-domain lands existed almost entirely in the West, most of the early forest reserves were in the West.

MARENGO—Crawford County hit 65.9 percent from the field to beat Perry Central 69-62 in PLAC boys basketball Friday.

Parker Hudson, a 6-foot-7 center, hit 4 of 4 shots in the first 12 minutes to help the Wolfpack build a 28-20 lead.

After Perry Central pulled within three points, 41-38, on a 15-footer by Ian Hahus midway through the third quarter, Andrew Curl and Jordan Newkirk hit consecutive three-point shots to build the Wolfpack’s lead to nine.